Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Crafting, mindfulness and coping with cancer: Helen’s story

Helen was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in March 2021. Like many people who receive a cancer diagnosis, Helen felt a mixture of emotions including worry, panic and stress. She had lots of questions about cancer and what might happen in the future. To help herself cope with how she was feeling, Helen turned to crafting. A lifelong knitter and crocheter, Helen talks in her video about how crafting helps to distract and calm her mind. She talks about how crafting and creativity have been incredibly important throughout her experience with cancer. Crafting has also helped Helen to create her legacy for her family and loved ones. Here on the Online Community, lots of members talk about how art, crafting, creative writing and hobbies can help with how you’re feeling. Members in our Express…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Cancer and the Menopause: watch our Instagram Live with the Titty Gritty

Whether it's early menopause due to treatment, or going through menopause whilst living with cancer, menopause and cancer is something we often see being discussed on the Community. From hot flushes to mood swings, brain fog and fatigue, our members have been sharing their experiences and offering tips and support to one another. To help raise awareness and break down taboos surrounding the menopause, this Friday, 3rd February ahead of World Cancer Day on 4th February, Macmillan’s National Clinical Adviser Dr Hannah Tharmalingam will take part in an Instagram Live event with cancer campaigner and broadcast journalist Helen Addis. Known to her followers on Instagram as @thetittygritty , Helen is dedicated to raising awareness around cancer, following her own experience of breast cancer. …

Ellen - Macmillan
"Not enough people of colour are going onto that register"- Wilfred's Acute Myeloid Leukaemia diagnosis and treatment story

Wilfred was born in Jamaica and is part of the Windrush generation. He came to the UK around the 1960s and settled in Birmingham. Wilfred was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and shares his reflections post-diagnosis and treatment, alongside the challenges a black person needing a stem cell transplant can face. Wilfred also talks about the need for emotional support when living with cancer and how Macmillan can help. The Online Community is a space to talk about how you are coping and access emotional support in our cancer forums. Join our Emotional support forum or post in our other cancer forums if you need additional support today. The Community is a safe and supportive space for people to share their personal experiences with cancer so if you are affected by Acute myeloid leukaemia…

Megan- Online Community Team
“It has taken me over 5 years to come to terms with what I went through” -Dimple is sharing her story

Dimple shares her cancer diagnosis story and how telling her children about her cancer was the hardest thing she has ever done. Cancer and treatment can have an emotional and financial impact on your life and Dimple tells us about some of the challenges she faced when living with cancer. On the 29th of December 2015, I was diagnosed with Cancer or Cookies as I called it because the word still scared me so much. The term the doctor used when they told me I had Cancer was primary cancer unknown - in other words the cancer had spread, and they didn’t know where it had started. The doctor that told me didn’t even ask if I had someone with me or how I would be getting home. It felt like I was just on his list for that day and he delivered his news and carried on with his day. I managed to hear…

Megan- Online Community Team
Summer Picture Festival

What better way to look back on summer than through pictures? This summer, we asked Online Community members to share their experiences of summer through photographs and artwork as part of our Summer Picture Festival in our “Express yourself” forum . This forum is a place to celebrate creativity and how being creative can help you to feel better. Here on Community News, we’ll be reflecting on summer as we go into autumn by looking through a selection of members' photographs and artwork. Remember you can also see all the pictures from this year’s Summer Picture Festival in the “Express yourself” forum . Lots of members shared pictures of flowers in bloom. If you share a love of gardening, why not take a look at our blog on gardening chat ? Some members shared their paintings. If you…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Anastrozole and reduced risk of breast cancer

Since yesterday (Tuesday 7 th November), various media outlets have been sharing a news story about Anastrozole, a medication that may be offered to tens of thousands of women who are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer. This could be a huge step forward for breast cancer prevention in the UK, and it has generated a large number of conversations across the Online Community around breast cancer treatments. Macmillan Cancer Support have been asked to provide a statement in response to this announcement. Statement from Macmillan Cancer Support Dany Bell, Strategic Adviser for Treatment, Medicines and Genomics at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Knowing that you have an increased risk of developing breast cancer can be difficult to deal with, so today’s news about Anastrozole is…

Syed - Macmillan
"Thank you to all the community champions, your kindness and dedication is absolutely amazing"

It’s volunteer’s week from 1 st - 7 th June and we hope you’ll join us with saying a big thank you to our amazing Community Champions. They are members of the site who dedicate their time to support members of the Online Community. “Thank you to all the community champions , your kindness and dedication is absolutely amazing” Community member, Community news blog “Thank you so much. You've been supportive from the start and encouraged me all the way. You’re an absolute inspiration x" Community member, Cervical cancer forum “ Thank again, you are always there for people with good advice and support, so very kind, no wonder you are a community champion.” Community member, Diffuse large b cell lymphoma forum “Thank you for taking on the role of champion. Your support is invaluable to everyone…

Megan- Online Community Team
Catching up with the Kidney cancer forum

Here on the Online Community, there’s lots of different forums where you can find support and talk to people who may be impacted by a similar diagnosis. Ahead of Urological Cancer Month in September, we’re catching up with recent conversations in the Kidney cancer forum and exploring the ways people have supported each other. If you are affected by a different type of urological cancer, remember we also have a Bladder cancer forum , Prostate cancer forum , Testicular cancer forum and Penile cancer forum . Let’s take a look at some of the common topics and conversations that have been happening recently in our Kidney cancer forum. If you’d like to respond in any of these conversations, just follow the links under the quotes. Coming to terms with a diagnosis A new diagnosis can be shocking…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Meet Kirsty Part 2, diagnosed with breast cancer alongside an existing health condition

Last month , we introduced you to Kirsty to share her story about coping with a breast cancer diagnosis alongside other long-term health issues. Kirsty described living under the shadow of acute Ulcerative Colitis for 21 years before finding a lump in her breast in April 2024. In Kirsty's story, she describes with candid honesty and humour how she dealt with tests for cancer whilst managing relationships with her loved ones. In this second part of two blogs telling Kirsty's story, we will continue to share Kirsty's experience as she told it to us. Kirsty's story, continued. "I was ultimately lucky enough to have what I call 'the good breast cancer'. That is a thing. My sister had the good one too and I can’t believe how incredibly fortunate we are. Because even though breast cancer…

Steph - Online Community Team
Allan’s story- living with oesophageal cancer and a feeding tube

Allan lives with his best friend in Eastbourne and shares his personal experience with Oesophageal cancer in this blog. He now has a feeding tube and is passionate about helping others who may also need similar treatment. In 2016 my right leg became blocked, and I couldn’t walk for long. After various visits to the hospital, it was decided for me to have a Femur Tibia Bypass. My leg was blocked from the groin to the ankle. I had 90 staples fitted and was left with a scar all down my leg. In 2018, lung cancer was found in my right lung, and then I was diagnosed with cancer of the Oesophagus in the same year. Regarding my cancer of the Oesophagus, I had trouble swallowing and had a massive bleed in the stomach. I attended the hospital on various occasions during 2017 & 2018 which led me to…

Megan- Online Community Team
What you wish you had known – cancer and farming communities

As part of Macmillan’s work with farming and rural communities the Online Community team have been working with The Farming Communities Network (FCN). You can find more information about the partnership in Macmillan's blog here . Macmillan are committed to making cancer care fairer for everyone. This includes making sure that everyone has access to the right cancer support and encouraging people to seek help sooner. We want to make sure that the support available in our Online Community reaches people in farming and rural communities. To start the conversation, we have asked people from Farming Community Network what they wish they had known when they have been affected by cancer. Advice for farmers, from farmers living with cancer “For many people, speaking with other farmers can be…

Steph - Online Community Team
What do you wish you had known before living with a stoma?

Our new mini blog series asks the question, ‘What do you wish you had known?’ In this latest blog, the Online Community team ask community members with different lived experiences what they wish they had known about Ileostomy, colostomy and stomas. The blog includes questions you might want to ask, practical tips, and help with managing anxiety before appointments. It also includes reassuring messages about living with a stoma. Visit the ‘What do you wish you had known before living with a stoma?’ forum to join the discussion. Emotional support when living with a stoma For some people, there can be a mixture of emotions when they are told they will be given a stoma as part of their treatment. You will find lots of friendly peer support in our Online Community. It can be comforting…

Megan- Online Community Team